Gobi Manchurian

It's been a week since school is out and I am on summer break. I somehow tend get more busy during the first week of the break working on all the postponed projects and appointments, and with my cooking workshops at the district, last week got a bit hectic. In fact I did not have enough time to put anything interesting on my Facebook page too.

So finally yesterday I cooked my favorite meal for dinner. Yes it was Indo-Chinese, and my husband loves appetizers. With 3 cauliflowers in my refrigerator I had to make delicious Gobi Manchurian.

Being a Mumbaite I had no idea what a Gobi Manchurian was. When I got married and moved to Bangalore with my husband I encountered this dish which was every around, in the restaurants, parties, buffets, I mean everywhere. I don't know why this dish was so important, but I just loved it. Crisp deep fried cauliflower florets coated in delicious sweet and sour sauce. Yes I love it that way. Freshly done and served immediately is the right way to enjoy this dish.

Gobi Manchurian in the Indian buffet always excites me. But I have still not come across a restaurant in the Bay Area where I can say I love their Gobi Manchurian. Most of the Gobi Manchurians look like Gobi ki sabzi, small florets of cauliflower soaking in the sauce and fall into pieces before you can enjoy it. Some are soft and and some are with overly sweet sauce. So you know I am not happy with the restaurant style so I always make mine at home :)

Firstly, these make a great appetizer or party food. They are perfect to take to potlucks of tea parties. With a cute pick arranged on each floret it is easy to pick and eat. I have done that earlier, and they are showstoppers. Secondly, I like large floret as it does not break and fall apart easily. It can hold it's shape well and look pretty too. Thirdly, I like the floret crisp and perfectly coated with sauce. So here is my recipe that I love.

Ingredients:
1 medium sized cauliflower that yields 3-4 cups florets.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch/corn flour
Oil for frying
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper
Chopped green chillies (to your spice level)
1/4 cup chilli garlic sauce
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 tbsp. soy sauce
Salt to taste
Chopped spring greens to garnish 

• Clean cauliflower and remove florets. I like to keep mine as big florets. Extremely large ones are cut into half. Soak them in water with 2 tbsp. salt for 20-30 minutes. I like to do that to make sure the cauliflowers are properly clean and worm free.
• In a zip-lock bag add all-purpose flour, rice flour, cornstarch, and 1 tsp. salt. Mix well. Add around 1+1/2 cup water to form a thick batter. You can make this in a container too. Zip-lock makes it easy to mix and is mess-free too.
• Remove cauliflower florets from salt water and add to the batter. Seal the bag well. Twist and turn it around for the batter to coat all the florets well. 
• Heat oil for deep frying.
• Using your fingers or tongs, drop each well coated floret in hot oil to fry till it is slightly brown. We will deep fry it again later. Fry all the keep it aside while we prepare the sauce.
• Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a wok. Saute ginger, garlic, chopped onions, chopped scallions for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped bell pepper and chopped green chillies and saute for few minutes.
• In a separate bowl mix chilli garlic sauce, soy sauce, and tomato ketchup. 
• Add mixed sauces to sauteing veggies. Add 2 tbsp water and bring it to boil. Turn off the heat. If you prefer your Gobi Manchurian soft and soggy, heat the sauce again before adding the re-fried florets. If you like your Gobi Manchurian crisp, let the sauce cool down a bit before mixing in the florets.
• Meanwhile re-fry the florets till they turn golden brown. Double frying them will make it crisp and stay crisp longer.
• Add all re-fried florets into the sauce. Mix well for the sauce to coat the florets well. 
• Remove in a platter, garnish with spring greens, and serve with cute picks.

Here is my step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Clean cauliflower and remove florets. I like to keep mine as big florets. Extremely large ones are cut into half. Soak them in water with 2 tbsp. salt for 20-30 minutes. I like to do that to make sure the cauliflowers are properly clean and worm free.

In a zip-lock bag add all-purpose flour, rice flour, cornstarch, and 1 tsp. salt. Mix well. Add around 1+1/2 cup water to form a thick batter. You can make this in a container too. Zip-lock makes it easy to mix and is mess-free too.
Remove cauliflower florets from salt water and add to the batter. Seal the bag well. Twist and turn it around for the batter to coat all the florets well. 

Remove cauliflower florets from salt water and add to the batter. Lock the bag. Twist and turn it around for the batter to coat all the florets well.

Heat oil for deep frying.

Using your fingers or tongs, drop each well coated floret in hot oil to fry till it is slightly brown. We will deep fry it again later.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a wok. Saute ginger, garlic, chopped onions, chopped scallions for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped bell pepper and chopped green chillies and saute for few minutes.

In a separate bowl mix chilli garlic sauce, soy sauce, and tomato ketchup. 

Add mixed sauces to sauteing veggies. Add 2 tbsp water and bring it to boil. Turn off the heat. If you prefer your Gobi Manchurian soft and soggy, heat the sauce again before adding the re-fried florets. If you like your Gobi Manchurian crisp, let the sauce cool down a bit before mixing in the florets.

Meanwhile re-fry the florets till they turn golden brown. Double frying them will make it crisp and stay crisp longer. 

Add all re-fried florets into the sauce. Mix well for the sauce to coat the florets well. 

Place some cute picks or simple tooth picks. I love these palm tree picks. 

Click here to buy these Palm tree picks

They are perfect for potlucks and parties. They look cute and perfect of the season too.

If you have a next potluck planned in a park or a backyard, you should use these cute picks.

Garnish with spring greens and serve.

Happy Entertaining!!

Kara Masala Dosa

We love dosas...yes so many varieties and so much fun!! Dosa party has always been one of our favorite ways of entertaining. Once the batter is ready and topping laid out, it is so easy to prepare dosas of one's choice. Check out my Dosa Party series for more recipes.

While we wee in India, Cafe Madras was our favorite South Indian restaurant. Idli, rasam wada, curry wada, and the best dosas every. Now that we are in the Bay area Madras cafe is once again our favorite South Indian restaurant. As soon as we enter Madras cafe, the aroma of food reminds us of Mumbai. No other restaurant in the Bay Area has made me so nostalgic. We are almost addicted to that place :)

Almost a year back one of my South Indian friends introduced me to Kara Masala Dosa at Madras Cafe. It was a regular masala dosa with spicy chilli and garlic paste and as soon as I took a bite, I knew I would make this at home. Ever since, I make sure to order this spicy dosa at Madras cafe. The chilli garlic paste in this recipe is my recipe of Schezwan Sauce. This is one of the versatile sauce that I use in endless dishes not just for Indo-Chinese cooking.

To make Schezwan Sauce (Spicy Chilli Garlic Sauce):
Dry red chillies (deseed and devein them well) 6-7 large or around a cup of small ones.
Garlic (pealed) 5-6 cloves
Oil 1/2 cup
Vinegar 1 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste

• Deseed and devein dry red chillies and keep them aside. Heat oil in a frying pan till it is luck warm. oil should not be very hot or smoking. Soak the red chillies in the lukewarm oil for 3-4 hours. In a blender, coarsely grind all ingredients together. 
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use as needed.

To make potato masala: (to make 8-10 masala Dosas)
4 large boiled potatoes
1 large chopped onion
4 tsp. oil
1 tbsp. urad dal/white lentil
1 tbso. mustard seeds
1-2 chopped green chillies
Few curry leaves
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of asoefoetida 
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro

• To start with 4 large potatoes, boiled, pealed and cut into small pieces.
•  Heat 3-4 tsp. oil in a pan. Fry 1 tbsp. urad dal/white lentil, 1 tbsp. mustard seeds, few chopped green chillies or dry red chillies, curry leaves, pinch of turmeric and pinch of asoefoetida.
• Add 1 large chopped onion. Add a pinch of salt and saute till it turns soft.
• Add boiled, chopped potatoes, salt and turmeric if needed.
• Mix well. Add 2-3 tbsp water. Cover and let the flavors blend well.
• Add chopped cilantro and you are ready to make Masala Dosa!

To make Kara Masala Dosa

• Spread Dosa batter onto hot griddles. Add few drops of oil or butter. 
• When dosa is about to be cooked, spread a tbsp. of chilli garlic on the dosa.
• Add 3-4 tbsp. of Potato masala in the center of the dosa. Sprinkle some chopped onions over it. fold the dosa from the sides.
• Serve Kara Masala Dosa with Sambar and Coconut chutney.

Here is my well fermented easy to make dosa batter.

Click here to check the recipe of dosa batter.

Spread Dosa batter onto hot griddles. Add few drops of oil or butter. 

When dosa is about to be cooked, spread a tbsp. of chilli garlic on the dosa.

Add 3-4 tbsp. of Potato masala in the center of the dosa. Sprinkle some chopped onions over it. fold the dosa from the sides.

Serve Kara Masala Dosa with Sambar and Coconut chutney.

Enjoy Spicy Kara Masala Dosa!!

Spicy Garlic Potatoes

Like I promised, here is another easy vegetarian BBQ recipe that is quick and you can never go wrong. On my little charcoal grill in my balcony, setting up and grilling food becomes super simple and fun. Two weeks back we put mat in the balcony and were ready to enjoy our dinner of grilled kababs, corn on the cob, and grilled potatoes. We love potatoes and yams grilled on charcoal...with crispy charred skin and sprinkle of salt pepper and lime juice, it is just delicious. It is a rustic and natural way of baking potatoes and yams.

This Spicy Garlic Potatoes is my creation of tandoori aloo that can go well as an appetizer or with naan and roti. These baby potatoes are par boiled, stuffed, and grilled on charcoal till the skin gets crisp and flavorful.

Ingredients
1 lb. baby potatoes
1/4-1/2 cup chilli garlic paste or my recipe Schezwan sauce
1 Tbsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Water to par boil potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp. chaat masala
Juice of fresh lime
Cilantro to garnish

• Boil water in a large pan. Season it with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
• Add washed baby potatoes with skin into boiling water. Boil for 7-8 minutes till they are slightly tender. You do want to keep them firm so that they don't fall apart when inserting a skewer through them.
• Remove from water and let the potatoes cool for some time.
• Slit the potatoes halfway. Gently open the slit and stuff with chili garlic paste or my recipe of schezwan sauce.
• Insert a skewer through each of the potatoes.
• Let the potatoes rest for few minutes for flavors to be absorbed.
• Grill on hot charcoal or in an oven till they turn crisp and brown.
• Serve in a platter. Sprinkle chopped onions, chaat masala, juice of fresh lime, and cilantro and serve.

After my last post on Dal & Sabz Seekh Kababs, I had lot of questions and requests to show how to use the charcoal grill? So here are few tips & tricks with pictures:

• Below is my little terracotta charcoal grill from World market. You could use and terracotta pot too to make a small grill. The basic idea to use any charcoal grill is that charcoal should get enough air/oxygen which will help in burning. We all know without oxygen fire can burn out. So if using a terracotta plant pot as a grill, it would be a good idea to drill few small holes on the side for air to enter into the pot. 
• Charcoal can easily be found in most of the stores. You could buy regular charcoal with an igniting liquid or use self igniting charcoal. Self igniting ones are easier since you don't have to pour ignition liquid on them, but both can work. 
• Take a sheet of recycling paper and twist it to make a loose rope. Bring the edges together to form a ring. Place this loose paper ring at the bottom of the grill. Arrange few charcoals over the grill such that paper is not totally covered. It would require some air to continue burning. Do not overload the grill with lot of charcoal. It is easy to add charcoal later as needed.
• Using a long lighter, light the paper ring at the bottom. As the paper continues to burn, charcoal will catch fire too. It might take time for it to burn too. Be patient and you might have to repeat this step.
• Charcoal closer to the paper will burn faster than the ones further away and that is fine because eventually they will all start to burn and get red hot. 
• When outer layer of charcoal burns it turns to ash and it is tricky to figure out it they are still burning or have they extinguished. Use a stainless steel plate or a hand fan and lightly fan the charcoal. The hot charcoal will glow red hot which indicates that they are burning fine and you are ready to cook on it. 
• A pair of long tongs should always be kept handy to move charcoal around. Distribute charcoals evenly in the grill to ensure even cooking. 
• While cooking with food that has been marinated with oil, few drops of oil on hot charcoal could create a flame, and that is okay. Just be cautious about it. 
• Charcoal touching food is also fine. It can easily be dusted off if you want.
• Remember to always soak bamboo or wooden skewers in water before using them so that they do not catch fire. 

Grilled Paneer and Vegetable Tikka

Grilled Corn or Bhutta

Spicy Garlic Potatoes

Happy Grilling!!